TED ALEXANDER: A lot of people that argue that would have got their education for free as well.

What we're creating is a generation in debt.

A generation who have to go to university to get proper jobs and make the economy of Australia work properly but when they get out of there with a degree they're burdened with a $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 debt.

Some courses in Australia have a debt of over $100,000.

How are these young people meant to manage that?

We're creating a whole generation of people who are entering the work force with a large debt around their neck and this is going to be a major problem.

JUDY TIERNEY: Again, the argument is, I suppose, that people who go to university get a larger salary at the end of it anyway.

And you don't have to start paying it back until you earn $30,000 and it'd be paid over a long period of time so is it really such a burden?

TED ALEXANDER: Well, $30,000 when you've got a wife and a few children could be quite a problem.

I mean, it's not like we're talking about people with a whole amount of income to pay off these debts.

It is going to be a problem for people because they're going to find where their income is penalised because of this extra tax rate.

Education benefits the whole of Australia and so the most sensible way of financing it is through the tax system.

JUDY TIERNEY: What about the courses?

Do you have any fears there that some might be swallowed up by others?

TED ALEXANDER: We have a real fear that you may see different prices for different courses.

There are three different bands of HECS at the moment.

We don't want to see a situation where to do medicine costs three times as much as to do arts and so someone from a disadvantaged background couldn't afford to do medicine anymore.

We're also concerned that the Federal Government has talked about directing funds to universities and directing which courses they're going to do, so we're worried that that might result in courses being cut.

JUDY TIERNEY: And just briefly, do you think any Tasmanians are going to be disadvantaged?

TED ALEXANDER: I think a lot of Tasmanians will be disadvantaged by a higher level of debt in the future.

I mean, they're going to enter the workplace with a huge burden on themselves and this is going to be a disadvantage for every Tasmanian student.